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Sunday November 10, 2013 5:18 AM

Dear Heloise: I know about putting a label or sticker on sliding glass doors to
prevent running into them.

I accidentally ran into a screen door and just about broke my nose. Because I am in and out of
this door often, I took a red ribbon with a bell on it and used a safety pin to attach it to the
screen at eye level. Works like a charm, and no more run-ins.

— Muriel A., Oxnard, Calif.

Dear Muriel: And, for furry family members, remember to place stickers down low,
so they, too, will see that the door is closed.

Dear Heloise: I have a hard-water ring inside my toilet. You had a solution in
The Grand Rapids (Mich.)
Press some time ago. Would you please reprint it?

— Donald in Michigan

Dear Donald: This is an easy fix, Donald. Start breaking down the stain by pouring
several cups of full-strength household vinegar into the bowl. After 10 minutes, scrub and
flush.

If the stain lingers, drain the water from the bowl by force-flushing the toilet. To do this,
fill a mop bucket a little more than halfway and steadily pour the water down the toilet, which
will drain from the pressure of the water. Then put toilet paper over the stained area and soak it
with vinegar. Let this sit, then scrub it.

Vinegar is all-natural, environmentally friendly and, best of all, cheap.

Dear Heloise: I was searching for my copy of your recipe for homemade window
cleaner and couldn’t find it anywhere. Can you please reprint it?

— Donna B., Massillon, Ohio

Dear Donna: This cleaner can be used for windows, and it’s also great for mirrors
and stainless steel.

Mix 1/4 cup nonsudsing ammonia with a gallon of water. Keep the solution in a labeled spray
bottle for easy use, and be sure to wear gloves. For sparkling windows, dry them with newspaper
instead of paper towels.

Dear Heloise: I have read many hints in your column about security and car keys.
When I know I will be going somewhere that uses valet parking, I always grab my spare key. It is on
a key chain by itself. When I get to the valet, I hand the person the spare key and keep my regular
keys with me. This way, the valet has access only to the car and nothing else, such as my home
keys.

— A reader, via email

Dear Heloise: A woman suggested color-coding the numbering system on plastic
bottles, etc., to know how to sort them for recycling. This could increase costs a great deal in
the manufacturing of bottles and other containers — a cost that would be passed down to us as
consumers.

For those having trouble reading the symbols, I’d like to suggest taking a marker (permanent or
not) and rubbing the side of it over the raised coded symbol, making the symbol easier to see.

I certainly agree with the reader’s comment that it would be much better to have all plastic be
recyclable.

— M.D. in Montana

Dear Heloise: I occasionally need to put a little hair spray in my son’s hair
(some days it is just a mess). Instead of spraying the hair spray directly on his hair and risking
getting it in his eyes, I spray the comb first, then run it through his hair.

— K.T. in Texas

Heloise answers letters only in her King Features Syndicate column. Write her at P.O. Box
795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000; or send a fax to 210-HELOISE.